The irrepressible Alberts, 38, is the only finalist without experience in athletic administration, but he was quick to drop the name of his former coach when stating his qualifications.

"I asked Tom Osborne about it, because he was a nontraditional candidate himself [as Nebraska's athletic director]," Alberts said. "He knows my skill set, and I asked if he thought what I've done is transferable — and he said he thought it was. There's plenty to learn, but the great thing about being an A.D. is that it isn't about one person — it can't be, because it doesn't work that way. It's about developing a team and relying on others. The big thing is earning trust."

After Alberts was terminated by ESPN in 2005 for declining to report to work, he took a job with CSTV. He also served as an analyst for CBS telecasts of Southeastern Conference games and the NFL on Westwood One radio.

"I guess it's got something to do with how God built me," Alberts said. "Challenges aren't things that I'm real scared of. When I was being recruited [in high school], people told me not to go to Nebraska, that I would struggle to play there. When I got into broadcasting, people told me I'd never get to the national level and that there wasn't a whole lot of money at the local level. If I listened to what everyone told me, I wouldn't have experienced half of what I have."

Alberts, who currently lives in Marietta, Ga., outlined his reasons for seeking a career change.

"I was the poster child for positive experiences as a student-athlete," he said. "I loved being a student. I loved going to class. The University of Nebraska prepared me for so many things. And I've always had this deep-seated longing to make a contribution back to athletics."

Having Osborne in his corner could help. One has to wonder if Osborne, 72, might be trying to push Alberts in order to groom him as his successor.

This isn't the first time Alberts has had conversations about becoming an athletic administrator. In December 2007, he was mentioned as a possible associate athletic director for football at Nebraska, but decided against it.